1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing energy to biological tissue and, more particularly, to systems and methods for enabling user selection of the size and shape of a microwave energy field used in a surgical procedure.
2. Background of Related Art
Energy-based tissue treatment is well known in the art. Various types of energy (e.g., electrical, ultrasonic, microwave, cryogenic, thermal, laser, etc.) are applied to tissue to achieve a desired result. Electrosurgery involves application of high radio frequency electrical current to a surgical site to cut, ablate, coagulate or seal tissue. In monopolar electrosurgery, a source or active electrode delivers radio frequency energy from the electrosurgical generator to the tissue and a return electrode carries the current back to the generator. In monopolar electrosurgery, the source electrode is typically part of the surgical instrument held by the surgeon and applied to the tissue to be treated. A patient return electrode is placed remotely from the active electrode to carry the current back to the generator. In tissue ablation electrosurgery, the radio frequency energy may be delivered to targeted tissue by an antenna or probe.
In the case of tissue ablation, a high radio frequency energy in the range of about 300 mHz to about 300 gHz is applied to a targeted tissue site to create an ablation volume, which may have a particular size and shape. The particular type of tissue ablation procedure may dictate a particular ablation volume in order to achieve the desired surgical outcome. By way of example, and without limitation, a spinal ablation procedure may call for a longer, more narrow ablation volume, whereas in a prostate ablation procedure, a more spherical ablation volume may be required.
The ablation volume may be affected by various factors, including without limitation, probe construction, antenna size and shape, frequency, energy level, energy delivery method, and duration of energy delivery. Conventionally, a surgeon must rely upon professional experience and published specifications to select an ablation probe and related electrosurgical parameters with which to achieve a desired ablation volume for a particular patient.